Paulding Co., Decatur students head back to school

DALLAS, Ga. - Thousands of metro Atlanta students are heading back to the classroom as summer vacation winds down.

The first bells of the school year rang Thursday morning at Decatur City Schools and Paulding County schools.

Hal Hutchens Elementary School teacher Shonda Pritchett said she is ready for classes to begin.

“I actually started getting my classroom ready at the end of June,” Pritchett said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the children again. Haven’t seen them in a while," teacher Kathy Vines said.

Parents and county leaders at Paulding County High School in Dallas are excited to kick off the school year with a new traffic signal at the entrance.

“What we see is this, a bonus to give our drivers who are emerging drivers an opportunity to leave the campus and gain access to the campus in a safe manner,” Assistant Superintendent Brian Otott said.

Channel 2 Action News will have continuing coverage of the back to school season as districts throughout metro Atlanta head back to the classroom over the next couple weeks.